The Fifth Quarter

Week 5 picks recap: Defense is carrying the day -- er, season -- so far

2008-10-08T11:38:20Z

Okay, so after five weeks it appears no team is poised to make a Patriots-like run at 16-0 this season. And, really, that's no surprise. Even the two remaining unbeaten teams -- the 5-0 Titans and the 4-0 Giants -- figure to each have at least a handful of losses before the final playoff seeding is complete. But if there is one theme emerging through the early weeks of the season, it's defense. The Giants (49 points) and Titans (56 points) have two of three lowest point total allowed in the league. The Steelers (4-1), Panthers (4-1) and Bears (3-2) also have played great defense so far among the division leaders. Meanwhile, explosive offenses like the Colts (2-2), Chargers (2-3) and Saints (2-3) have really struggled. It's all made for some interesting picking so far. The reality: Panthers, 34-0. Herm Edwards isn't this incapable a coach, but he will probably end up paying for the lack of talent in KC. The pick: Colts (-3) at Texans: Indy is overdue for an outburst, and the Texans are allowing 33 points per game. Colts, 34-21 The reality: Colts, 31-27. It's amazing to think that the Colts could actually be 0-5 right now the way they've played. The pick: Titans (-3) at Ravens: Don't be surprised if the Ravens look spent today after a big effort in Pittsburgh. Titans, 17-14 The reality: Titans, 13-10. Second tough loss in a row for the Ravens, who are as tough as any 2-3 team in the league. The pick: Chargers (-6 ½) at Dolphins: A win would signify a Dolphins turnaround, but don't count on it. Chargers, 27-17 The reality: Dolphins, 17-10. The Bill Parcells effect already is being felt in South Florida -- and beyond. The pick: Redskins at Eagles (-6): Philly can't afford to slip again after an uninspired effort against the Bears. Eagles, 24-20 The reality: Redskins, 23-17. Eagles blew a 14-0 lead and suddenly find themselves in real danger of falling out of the NFC East race. The pick: Bears (-3 ½) at Lions: After a big win over the Eagles, the Bears get a bye. Bears, 26-13 The reality: Bears, 34-7. The mediocre Bears are looking like the best team in a bad NFC North. The pick: Falcons at Packers (no line): If Aaron Rodgers can't go, the Pack will roll out a rookie at QB, and things could get interesting. Packers, 20-17 The reality: Falcons, 27-24. Atlanta continues it's amazing one-season turnaround at 3-2, while the Packers are showing some tread wear. The pick: Seahawks at Giants (-7): The Giants are too well-rested to succumb to the upset bug. Giants, 27-20 The reality: Giants, 44-6. The Giants are making it look easy right now, while the Seahawks appear to be in real trouble. The pick: Bucs at Broncos (-3): It's tough to foresee this being a defensive struggle, and a shootout is not good news for the Bucs. Broncos, 31-21 The reality: Broncos, 16-13. As it turns out, it was a defensive struggle, and ,surprisingly, Denver did some tackling. The pick: Patriots (-3) at 49ers: Memo to Boston sports fans -- savor the Sox this fall. 49ers, 21-20 The reality: Patriots, 30-21. Give the Patriots credit -- they've feasted on a soft early schedule for a 3-1 start. The pick: Bills at Cardinals (-1): For the Bills to go to 5-0 the defense will need to come up big. Bills, 23-20 The reality: Cardinals, 41-17. Trent Edwards suffered a concussion and gained instant job security. The pick: Bengals at Cowboys (-17): Let's assume the Cowboys can put aside their soap opera long enough for a rout. Cowboys, 44-17 The reality: Cowboys, 31-22. The swagger has taken a hit, but the Cowboys managed to grind out a win. The pick: Steelers at Jaguars (-4): This matchup doesn't bode well for the banged-up Steelers, but they'll find a way to beat a team that's had their number. Steelers, 20-17 The reality: Steelers, 26-21. Given their injuries, as big a regular-season win as the Steelers have had since 2005. The pick: Vikings at Saints (-3): Red Childress' seat will get a little hotter after the Saints drop the Vikings to 1-4. Saints, 27-24 The reality: Vikings, 30-27. The Saints are still trying to recapture the magic of their 2006 season -- and mostly failing to do it. Last week Straight up: 7-7 Spread: 8-6 Season Straight up: 49-25 Spread: 44-30]]>

View from Sunday's games: Bills can recover from Arizona meltdown

2008-10-06T02:29:28Z

It might have been ugly – especially the four turnovers – but the Bills’ 41-17 loss to the Cardinals probably won’t be all that costly. Quarterback Trent Edwards has the bye week to recover from the concussion he sustained on the game’s third play, meaning J.P. Losman’s re-emergence might not extend beyond Sunday. It was also a loss to an NFC opponent, so it won’t hurt the Bills in most AFC playoff tiebreaker scenarios. The Bills come back from the bye week and into a key stretch of games starting with an Oct. 19 home date with San Diego. After that the Bills visit Miami, host the Jets and visit New England. The latter three games, all AFC East matchups, should set the division pecking order for the second half of the season. -- John Dudley]]>

Week 4 recap: It's good to be the king

2008-10-02T19:02:22Z

It doesn't happen often, so I'm going to seize the opportunity to gloat a little after a weekend in which I went 11-2 straight up and against the spread. The crown jewel of a good pickin' day came when my upset special -- Chiefs over the Broncos -- materialized on Sunday afternoon. The two games I missed involved NFC East teams: The Redskins over the Cowboys -- although I had Dallas minus the points -- and the Eagles over the Bears -- which might have happened had Andy Reid not suddenly become the most conservative coach in NFL history after the Eagles reached second-and-goal. Even better, I had all three local teams winning -- and they all won, which meant fewer ornery e-mails than usual this week. At any rate, it was a good week. I'm sure there won't be many more as sweet. On to this week's review... The reality: Chiefs, 33-19. If you had the Chiefs in the upset and in a 33-point pool you were smiling this week. The pick: Browns at Bengals (-3 ½): It's crazy picking the Browns on the road. Except in Cincinnati. Browns, 23-20 The reality: Browns, 20-12. It wasn't pretty. It didn't need to be. Browns fans can breathe again -- for now. The pick: Texans at Jaguars (-7 ½): The Jags aren't pretty to watch but they still play pretty good defense. Jaguars, 23-14 The reality: Jaguars, 30-27 (OT). Josh Scobee for mayor of Jacksonville. Heck, make him governor. The pick: Cardinals at Jets (-1): Warner vs. Favre. Winner buys the Bran Flakes. Jets, 24-21 The reality: Jets, 56-35. 57 combined second-half points by the two teams. That was fun. The pick: 49ers at Saints (-4 ½): Even without Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey, Drew Brees has more weapons than J.T. O'Sullivan. Saints, 35-21 The reality: Saints, 31-17. With Lane Kiffin gone Mike Nolan is on the hottest seat in California. The pick: Falcons at Panthers (-7): Carolina has more defense than Matt Ryan can handle right now. Panthers, 26-16 The reality: Panthers, 24-9. Carolina had more defense than Matt Ryan could handle. The pick: Vikings at Titans (-3): It wasn't that long ago Jeff Fisher supposedly was on the hot seat. Now he's looking pretty secure. Titans, 24-17 The reality: Titans, 30-17. The Titans are allowing a league-low 11.5 points per game. The pick: Packers at Bucs (-1 ½): Packers need Ryan Grant to be at full strength, and that seems doubtful. Bucs, 21-19 The reality: Bucs, 30-21. Earnest Graham is on pace to rush for 1,336 yards. The pick: Bills (-8) at Rams: The schedule-maker continues to repay the Bills in spades for past cruelties. Bills, 24-14 The reality: Bills, 31-14. The Bills are in control of the AFC East, and they'll be favored again this week against the Cardinals. The pick: Chargers (-7 ½) at Raiders: This is the week the AFC contenders start to find their legs, and the Chargers are a contender. Chargers, 31-23 The reality: Chargers, 28-18. Al Davis made up his mind to change coaches long before this latest Raiders loss. The pick: Redskins at Cowboys (-11): Jim Zorn is doing a heck of a job, but he won't be the one standing in against Dallas' pass rush today. Cowboys, 28-21 The reality: Redskins, 26-24. Okay, you won't believe it, but I really, really wanted to pick this upset last week. The pick: Eagles (-3) at Bears: It should be a happy homecoming for Donovan McNabb, who has rediscovered his youth so far this season. Eagles, 23-17 The reality: Bears, 24-20. Turns out not having Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews was too much for Philly to overcome. The pick: Ravens at Steelers (- ½): Expect Ben Roethlisberger and his line to stand in tougher against the blitz this week at home. Steelers, 27-10 The reality: Steelers, 23-20 (OT). It was ugly, but we knew it would be. Last week: Straight up: 11-2 Spread: 11-2 Season Straight up: 42-18 Spread: 36-24 -- John Dudley]]>

Ravens at Steelers: Fourth quarter update

2008-09-30T03:34:45Z

What happened: Jeff Reed's field goal extended the Steelers' lead to 20-13, but the Ravens tied it on Le'Ron McClain's two-yard run with 4:07 to play. ... The Steelers reached midfield on their last drive before punting. ... The Ravens got it back at their 13 with 1:40 to play, but let the clock expire with possession inside their 30, sending the game to overtime. -- John Dudley]]>

Ravens at Steelers: Third quarter update

2008-09-30T02:30:35Z

What happened: The Steelers took the lead with Ben Roethlisberger's 38-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and a Lamarr Woodley fumble return for a score in a span of 13 seconds. -- John Dudley]]>

Ravens at Steelers: Halftime update

2008-09-30T01:26:57Z

What happened: The Ravens drove 48 yards to a 20-yard Matt Stover field goal to take a 6-3 lead at 3:48. ... Baltimore stretched it to 13-3 when rookie quarterback Joe Flacco hit tight end Daniel Wilcox on a four-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the half. ... The Steelers' offense lost 6 yards on nine plays in the quarter, including a pair of sacks for 17 yards in losses. They have not scored a touchdown since the 6:26 mark of the second quarter in Week 32 against the Browns. -- John Dudley]]>

Ravens at Steelers: First quarter update

2008-09-30T00:08:22Z

What happened: Jeff Reed's 49-yard field goal gave the Steelers a 3-0 lead. ... The Ravens punted on their first two possessions but Baltimore tied it on Matt Stover's 33-yard field goal with 18 seconds left. -- John Dudley]]>

Ravens at Steelers: Pre-game and inactives

2008-09-29T23:43:29Z

Here is the first of regular updates tonight from Heinz Field, where the Steelers are hosting the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Inactives: Steelers: WR Limas Sweed, RB Willie Parker, OT Tony Hills, OT Trai Essex, LB Donovan Woods, DT Casey Hampton, DE Brett Keisel, QB Dennis Dixon. Ravens: CB Samari Rolle, CB Evan Oglesby, S Dawan Landry, LB Nick Greisen, OT Oniel Cousins, OG/OT David Hale, NT Kelly Gregg, QB Troy Smith. The Steelers are in their throwback jerseys, black with yellow letters and numbers, and their solid canary yellow helmets. Look for updates after each quarter with highlights and instant analysis. -- John Dudley

Week 3 picks recap: Some things are a little clearer now

2008-09-25T04:11:02Z

This much seems certain through three weeks of the NFL season: -- The NFC East appears to be the league's strongest division. Its teams have only lost to each other, and even the 2-1 Redskins appear to be playoff-caliber behind head coach Jim Zorn. -- The AFC East is, for now, the Bills' to lose. And Buffalo might have the defense to do it this season. -- The Matt Cassell effect finally took hold in New England, but no one could have foreseen such a defensive meltdown against a Dolphins offense that usually doesn't bite. -- The Ravens have a chance to take early control of the AFC North with a road win in Pittsburgh Monday, but a Steelers victory signals that the old guard remains in place in the division. -- The Chargers can still be the Chargers, only their margin for error is a little smaller because Jay Cutler has the Broncos off to a scorching start. -- The Bears are still the Bears, which means the NFC North is still the Packers' division to lose. -- Someone has to step up and win the NFC West. Theoretically. On to last week's picks: Last week Straight up: 9-7 Spread: 7-9 Season Straight up: 31-16 Spread: 25-22 Sunday's games The pick: Chiefs at Falcons (-5 ½): The Falcons are good enough to bounce back from last week's loss to Tampa Bay and move to 2-1. The Chiefs just aren't good enough. Falcons, 23-10 The reality: Falcons, 38-14. At 2-1, the Falcons appear to miss Michael Vick the way a dog misses his fleas. The pick: Raiders at Bills (-9 ½): That the Bills are such heavy favorites against a team coming off a win is a sign they have arrived. Bills, 24-14 The reality: Bills, 24-23. With the Rams up next, there's a very real chance for a 4-0 start for the Bills. The pick: Texans at Titans (-5): The Titans are getting it done with defense (17 points allowed), so it really doesn't matter who is playing quarterback. Titans, 23-16 The reality: Titans, 31-12. Vince Young can take his time healing. The Titans are in good hands with Jeff Fisher, Kerry Collins and the defense. The pick: Bengals at Giants (-13 ½): It's now or never if the Bengals, who are averaging 8.5 points per game, are going to avoid a total meltdown this season. Giants, 28-13 The reality: Giants, 26-23 (OT). It appears to be never. The pick: Cardinals at Redskins (-3): This is the kind of win that will provide proof the Cards have become a contender. Cardinals, 24-21 The reality: Redskins, 24-17. It's early, but Jim Zorn is looking like a coach of the year candidate. The pick: Dolphins at Patriots (-12 ½): Matt Cassell and the Patriots will be 3-0 after today, but it will be tough to say if they're really a Super Bowl-caliber team. Patriots, 21-10 The reality: Dolphins, 38-13. So, if everyone had run the Single Wing against the Pats last year, 16-0 would have never happened? Bucs at Bears (-3): This looks like a slugfest that probably will come down to a late turnover. Bears, 17-14 The reality: Bucs, 27-24 (OT). The Bears have blown leads of 14 and 10 points the past two weeks. These ain't the Monsters of the Midway. The pick: Panthers at Vikings (-3 ½): These teams have combined for 13 field goals in two weeks, so don't be stunned if this is decided by the kicking game. Vikings, 23-20 The reality: Vikings, 20-10. Once again, I underestimated the Panthers' capacity for offensive nothingness. The pick: Rams at Seahawks (-9 ½): The 0-2 Hawks are huge favorites, which tells you how bad the Rams have looked. Seahawks, 24-10 The reality: Seahawks, 37-13. The Rams have sunk to such a level that they can make ordinary teams look like Super Bowl contenders. The pick: Lions at 49ers (-4): Potentially a nice matchup for J.T. O'Sullivan against a Lions defense allowing 41 points per game. 49ers, 28-21 The reality: 49ers, 31-13. Put this line on J.T. O'Sullivan's resume -- he was part of the straw that broke Matt Millen's back. The pick: Saints at Broncos (-5 ½): With Drew Brees and Jay Cutler throwing against suspect defenses the potential for points is staggering -- assuming it doesn't snow. Saints, 31-28 The reality: Broncos, 34-32. Gunslinging Jay Cutler wins another shootout. Steelers at Eagles (-3): Great strength-on-strength matchup between the Eagles' high-scoring offense (37.5 points per game) and the Steelers' stingy defense (11.5 points allowed per game). Eagles, 24-20 The reality: Eagles, 15-6. Costly loss for the Steelers, who saw Willie Parker and Casey Hampton go down in an anemic showing. The pick: Jaguars at Colts (-5 ½): The Jags have a banged up offensive line and the Colts are missing Bob Sanders. Slight advantage, Indy, which finally finds its offensive rhythm. Colts, 30-20 The reality: Jaguars, 23-21. A long, last-second Josh Scobee field goal has turned the AFC South into a real head-scratcher of a division. The pick: Browns at Ravens (-2 ½): No way Derek Anderson survives an 0-3 start. He needs to play with some urgency today. Browns, 25-23 The reality: Ravens, 28-10. They're ready to revolt in Cleveland. A loss Sunday to the Bengals probably would do it. The pick: Cowboys (-3) at Packers: The 'Boys are this week's only road favorite. Tony Romo has been getting away with mistakes, but today he'll pay. Packers, 27-24 The reality: Cowboys, 27-16. By beating Philly and Green Bay, the Cowboys backed up the talk about being a preseason NFC Super Bowl favorite. Monday's game Jets at Chargers (-9): The spread seems a little ridiculous. Looks more like a shootout. Chargers, 30-27 The reality: Chargers, 48-29. Only some late points by the Jets turned the score into something approaching competitive. -- John Dudley Check out this week's NFL video picks segment below, where I take additional abuse from my 8-year-old daughter Megan. ]]>

Weekend rewind: Good teams looked baffled on Sunday

2008-09-22T21:14:42Z

It's amazing that two teams that were unbeatable over the first two weeks of the season were thoroughly confounded Sunday by a couple of old football tricks. The Steelers and their big, bad offensive line got abused by an Eagles blitz package that was far less exotic than it was effective sacking Ben Roethlisberger eight time and backup Byron Leftwich once. San Jose Mercury News is reporting that the Raiders are about to fire coach Lane Kiffin, whose team blew a pair of nine-point second half leads in a 24-23 loss to the Bills on Sunday. -- After three weeks, the NFC is 8-0 against teams from other divisions. Its only losses are by the Eagles to the Cowboys and the Redskins to the Giants. -- John Dudley]]>

Raiders at Bills: Fourth quarter update

2008-09-21T19:18:50Z

What happened: The Bills had possession to start the quarter and moved to their 40, where on second-and-7 Oakland's Kirk Morrison was called for pass interference. After a delay and an officials' time out, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin challenged the call, contending the pass tipped off of the helmet of a Raiders defensive lineman before the penalty. The call was overturned on review, bringing up third-and-7 from the Buffalo 40. The Bills converted, though, when Edwards hit Josh Reed for eight yards. A holding call on Derrick Dockery wiped out a 20-yard completion from Edwards to Reed and made it first-and-20 from Buffalo's 38. Edwards hit Robert Royal on a swing pass that Royal turned into an 18-yard gain, bringing up third-and-2 from the Oakland 44. The Bills picked up the first down on an 11-yard Edwards pass to Roscoe Parrish, and Marshawn followed a big line surge into the end zone from three yards out for a touchdown five plays later to make it 16-14 at 7:59. ... After a short kickoff return, the Raiders faced third-and-10 from their 16, when Johnnie Lee Higgins split the safeties and JaMarcus Russell hit him on the run for an 86-yard touchdown that stretched Oakland's lead to 23-14 at 6:23. ... The Bills responded by driving 69 yards in seven plays. Edwards, who completed 4-of-6 passes on the drive, hit Parrish for 14 yards for the touchdown to cut the Raiders' lead to 23-21 at 4:03. ... The Raiders went three-and-out and punted to the Bills, who took over at their 35 with 2:29 left. ... The Bills took over and drove to the Oakland 20, where Rian Lindell kicked a 38-yard field goal to win it as time ran out. Observations: The Bills used nearly half the fourth quarter on their first drive, which covered 96 yards and took 17 plays. ... Nice coverage on the ensuing kickoff by the Bills, holding Johnnie Lee Higgins to a nine-yard return to Oakland's 16. ... Marcus Stroud whipped Bills fans into a frenzy during the TV timeout following the first Buffalo touchdown of the quarter, dancing around and waving his arms. Final score: Bills 24, Raiders 23 -- John Dudley

Raiders at Bills: Third quarter update

2008-09-21T18:27:10Z

What happened: The Bills took the kickoff and drove to the Oakland 27, with Trent Edwards hitting Lee Evans for 34 yards on the biggest play. Marshawn Lynch was stopped for no gain on third-and-short and Rian Lindell's 46-yard field goal attempt went wide right. ... The Bills forced a punt, but a holding penalty on the return at their 1-yard-line forced them to start about one foot outside their end zone. On the second play, Edwards threw to Evans over the middle and DeAngelo Hall ripped the ball out of Evans' hands while both players rolled across the field at the Bills' 13-yard line. The Bills challenged, contending that Evans had possession and was down by contact before Hall stripped the ball. Replay upheld the call. ... The Raiders took over at Buffalo's 13. Darren McFadden carried twice for 12 yards and JaMarcus Russell plunged in from the 1 for a touchdown that made it 16-7 at 7:30. ... Observations: NFL officials observer Art McNally spent a good part of the third quarter explaining to CBS' television crew the ruling that led to the Bills taking possession inside their 1-yard line following Oakland's punt early in the quarter. McNally explained that the hold, by Copeland Bryan, occurred before Leodis McKelvin caught the ball and therefore was enforced from the spot of the foul, which was inside the 2-yard line. Score: Raiders 16, Bills 7 -- John Dudley

Raiders at Bills: Halftime update

2008-09-21T17:39:55Z

What happened: The Bills' first series of the quarter fizzled when Trent Edwards was forced to throw away a third-down pass under heavy pressure. Brian Moorman punted and Oakland took over at its 13. ... The Raiders drove to the 30, where on third down Chris Kelsay sacked JaMarcus Russell and stripped the ball, which was recovered by Paul Posluszny at the Raiders 23. Marshawn Lynch scored on a 14-yard run three plays later to give the Bills a 7-6 lead. ... Oakland punted on its next series after reaching its 43. Michael Bush ran 16 yards on a delay on third-and-10, but the next three plays netted seven yards. ... The Bills were on the move with a first down at their 46 when Oakland's Kalimba Edwards sacked Trent Edwards and forced a fumble that Terdell Sands recovered for Oakland at the Bills 41 at 4:45. ... A 20-yard swing pass from Russell to Justin Griffith moved it to the Buffalo 15. On third-and-6 from the 11, Ashton Youboty came up and dropped McFadden for a three-yard loss. Janikowski kicked a 32-yard field goal at 1:56 to put the Raiders up 9-7. ... Leodis McElvin returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to Oakland's 44. Janikowski shoved him out of bounds to prevent a touchdown. On third-and-2, Edwards threw incomplete to Evans and the Bills up to go for it on fourth down at the Oakland 36 before calling a time out at 1:05. After the time out, Edwards heaved a shovel pass to Lynch, who was initially bottled up in the middle but reversed direction and picked up five yards to the Oakland 31 for the first down with 47 seconds left. Evans fumbled after catching a two-yard pass form Edwards on the next play and Oakland's Gibril Wilson recovered at the 29. Oakland ran out the clock. Observations: Lynch's touchdown run came on a pitch left on which he skirted the left sideline and spun after being hit, but reached out with one hand and held the ball inside the pylon as he twirled out of bounds. Replays suggested it was an iffy call, but Raiders coach Lane Kiffin did not challenge it. ... The Bills got great coverage on the kickoff after their touchdown, dropping Johnnie Lee Higgins at the Oakland 20 at 10:27. ... Kelsay also jumped and knocked down a third-down pass from Russell intended for Javon Walker to force a punt at 8:20. ... Trent Edwards didn't complete a pass to a wide receiver until the final two minutes of the half, hitting Josh Reed over the middle for six yards. Score: Raiders 9, Bills 7 -- John Dudley

Raiders at Bills: First quarter update

2008-09-21T17:14:39Z

What happened: Oakland's Johnnie Lee Higgins returned the opening kickoff 69 yards to set up a Sebastian Janikowski field goal for a 3-0 Raiders lead. ... Gerard Warren sacked Trent Edwards to snuff out the Bills' first drive. ... The next five drives resulted in punts. ... Oakland drove to a first down at the Bills' 20. Janikowski kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 6-0 with 31 seconds left in the quarter. Observations: Michael Bush, not Darren McFadden, hurt the Bills on the ground with two carries for 21 yards. McFadden rushed three times for six yards. ... Terrance McGee had good coverage on the 22-yard completion from JeMarcus Russell to Ashley Lelie that gave the Raiders a first down at the Buffalo 20. Three plays later Jabari Greer broke up a third-down pass intended for Javon Walker in the end zone. The Raiders settled for another field goal. ... The Bills' first three first-quarter possessions began at their 26, 13 and 11-yard lines. They finally got good field position when Fred Jackson returned a short Raiders kickoff to the Bills' 39. Darian Barnes took a shovel pass from Trent Edwards 25 yards to the Oakland 36 on the final play of the quarter. ... Officials on the field could be heard discussing the final plays of the first quarter when they left their on-field microphones enabled, making their comments audible in the press box. Score: Raiders 6, Bills 0 -- John Dudley

Raiders at Bills: Early update

2008-09-21T17:02:24Z

After some technical difficulties I am now online with updates from Ralph Wilson Stadium. Impressive opening kickoff return by Oakland's Johnnie Lee Higgins against the Bills' usually reliable kick coverage unit. That set up the Raiders at the Buffalo 30. Nice stand by the defense after a 14-yard completion from JeMarcus Russell to Javon Walker made it first-and-goal from the 10. The Bills held Oakland to a Sebastian Janikowski field goal, which has to be a small victory considering the return. One note: Justin Fargas is inactive for the Raiders, giving Darren McFadden the start at running back. McFadden carried once for two yards on the opening series. -- John Dudley